


Like the Moon Upon the Sea

by bfketh



Series: You Draw Me Closer To You [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Businessman Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Canon Divergent from Chapter 90, Dreams and Nightmares, Flashbacks, Fluff, M/M, Past Life Death, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Smut, grad student eren, violent imagery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-05-14 08:58:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5737555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bfketh/pseuds/bfketh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi has always remembered. The war, the Titans, all of it. Most people would think he was crazy if he told them; in <em>this</em> world, after all, it was physically impossible for humans to turn into man-eating giants several meters tall. Levi himself might have doubted his sanity if he hadn't met others with familiar faces. Others that remembered that world surrounded by the Walls.</p><p>Not all of them recall their past lives, though, and Levi isn't sure if he envies them or not.</p><p>When Levi runs into a young man with achingly familiar green eyes and no memory of the history they shared, Levi's first instinct is to push him away, to let him live this life with a freedom he never had in the other.</p><p>He doesn't count on Eren being just as stubborn this time around as the last, memories or no.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nostalgia

Levi stepped out of the club, a hand rubbing at his throbbing temples. He was thirty fucking years old, and _why_ he had let Hanji talk him into going to a dance club practically next door to UDub and guaranteed to be full of drunken college kids was beyond him.

...Okay, he _knew_ why, and it had everything to do with his step-sister looking up at him with her huge green eyes the moment the invitation was out of Hanji's mouth and asking, "Can we go, Big Bro? Please?" And of course, Levi had always had a problem denying Isabel anything.

Not even _two_ lifetimes had been enough to change that, it seemed.

Levi felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and fished it out to see a new text.

**Hanji:** Hey, Levi, don't wander off too far and forget you're supposed to be our ride home! ~ <3

He sighed.

**Levi:** My head's fucking killing me. Just text me when you're ready to leave.

Levi put his phone back in his pocket. He was planning to just go sit in his car when a bar across the street caught his eye. It was different from the row of neon and glass and chrome lining the rest of the street, all dark woods and polished brass accents, the name, Maria's, elegantly scrawled above the door. But what drew his attention was the logo painted on the sign - two intertwined roses in full bloom.

Even as Levi told himself that it was probably just a coincidence, he found himself crossing the street and pushing through the door. Soft jazz, at a much more reasonable volume than the "music" from earlier, surrounded him when he entered, and Levi sat at one of the stools at the bar. "Club soda on ice, lime twist."

"You know, you've _almost_ got yourself an actual drink there. Just add some vodka and you're set." A coaster and a glass tumbler were set down in front of Levi.

He snorted and picked it up by the rim, taking a small sip before setting it back down. "Cheap booze made from potatoes? No thanks. Even when I _did_ drink I never touched that shit. Reminds me too much of home." Levi looked up to see an older man smiling at him, corners of his eyes crinkling into crow's feet and an impressive mustache seeming to make up for the lack of hair on his bald head.

Pixis’s smile deepened. "That's why I’m partial to it, myself. But then, you always were a whiskey man, weren't you, Levi?" Obviously not expecting an answer, he continued, “So, what are you doing these days? Cop, lawyer, bodyguard, vigilante, MMA instructor, or mafia hitman?” Levi made a face, and Pixis squinted at him, a twinkle in his eye. “Stripper?”

Of course the old pervert would go there. “Accountant,” Levi replied in a bored tone. “I do still work for Shitwin, though.”

“Hah! How is Erwin? Still fomenting rebellion and striking fear into the hearts of old men with power?”

“Only in the boardroom.”

Pixis started to laugh long and loud at that, and Levi reached for his glass again. He froze, fingers touching the rim, when he heard two voices from the booths behind him.

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

"I'm still conscious, so...nope."

"Eren..."

"Fuck off, Sasha."

Levi whipped around in his seat so fast that it was a wonder he didn't slide right off the stool. Time seemed to slow as his eyes slid past the young woman in a server's uniform, brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail, to focus on the young man scowling up at her. Levi's heart gave a painful lurch in his chest as his gaze traced the familiar planes and angles of the young man's face, fingers twitching as if they remembered the feeling of that smooth, tan skin under them and longed to touch it again.

"Ah, I'd wondered when you'd notice."

The sound of Pixis's voice seemed to break whatever spell held Levi still, time speeding up to its proper pace as Sasha shook her head and muttered, "I'm cutting you off," before walking away to take care of other customers.

Levi's body moved as if on autopilot. He stood, taking his drink with one hand, and walked over to the booth. When he got close, his mouth opened all on its own. “Eren.”

Green eyes turned up to meet his, full of blurry suspicion and not a hint of recognition. “Who the hell’re you, and how’d you know my name?”

Levi’s stomach sank with disappointment at the same time as an odd sense of relief went through him. He decided he’d just have to sort through his emotions later, as Eren was still staring up at him, scowl starting to deepen. “Ah, sorry. I overheard you and the waitress talking. It seems like you’re going through some rough shit, kid.”

“So what? ‘M just supposed to spill my guts out to you now? Make you feel good about yourself for keeping some moping idiot company for the night?”

“Actually, I’ve been told I’m pretty fucking terrible company on multiple occasions.” Levi set his glass down on the table and slid into the opposite side of the booth. He had no clue what he was doing, but Eren hadn’t told him to get lost yet, and he couldn’t just walk away from him when he was like this. “But you look like someone just shot your dog, took a shit on it right in front of you, and then lit it on fire.”

Eren glared at him. “Fine, Mr. Can’t Mind His Own Business. Y’wanna know why I’m sitting here getting shit-faced? Because I was just dumped. By my _boyfriend_.” Eren downed a good quarter of the Long Island in front of him in a single gulp. “And if you have a problem with that, you can go fuck yourself.”

“Be awful damn hypocritical of me if I did, kid.”

Eren deflated, slumping down to rest his chin on his arm where it was lying flat on the table. “Stop callin’ me a kid. ‘M twenty-three and a grad student. And ‘m drunk. In a bar. Not a kid.”

“Obviously,” Levi agreed dryly, earning himself another frown.

Eren heaved out a sigh and levered himself far enough upright to take another long pull of his drink. Then he sat there and stared down into the glass, silent for long enough that Levi was tempted to check to see if he was still conscious. Finally, he spoke softly, almost more to himself than to Levi. “Two years. Two fucking years and he all of a sudden says he’s not in love with me anymore. Says it’s not fair to either of us to keep stringing me along. He still wants to be friends, though.” Eren scoffed and finished off the alcohol in front of him. “Fucking Horseface. Shoulda known something was up when he started avoiding sex.”

Levi nearly choked on his soda. _Jean?!_ Levi bit his lip to stop the incredulous question from slipping out, and quickly stomped down the irrational feeling of anger at the thought of someone, _anyone_ else being intimate with Eren. After all, even if Eren _had_ remembered their past lives, it wasn’t like Levi had any sort of claim on him in _this_ one. Finally, when he was sure his voice would be steady, he asked, “Are you going to stay friends?”

“I dunno.” Eren was silent for a minute, and then his tan face went pale. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” He pushed himself out of the booth and hurried back to the bathroom on unsteady feet.

Levi swore and stood up to follow him.

 

One awkward bout of hair-holding later followed by a quick rinse-off in the sink, and Levi was helping - or trying to help - a swaying Eren stand up straight. "Come on, Eren. Let's go back out, and you can call someone to pick you up, okay?"

Instead of answering, Eren blinked owlishly at him for a few moments. "You're really nice." Eren started to lean toward him. At first, Levi thought it was just more of his drunken inability to balance, but when Eren's face kept getting closer to his and he realized what he was going to do, Levi put up a hand, blocking him.

"Hold it. Even if you hadn't just finished puking your guts out into a public toilet - gross, by the way - I don't make it a habit of taking advantage of someone when they're drunk."

Eren pulled back, eyes blinking a little more rapidly and misting up. "See? You really are nice." His head ducked down again, but this time against Levi's shoulder. His voice was garbled with tears when he spoke next. "Wish I'd met you before..."

Levi sighed and reached up to pat Eren's back. "You always did get weepy when you drank," he murmured. "Right before you'd-"

Just then, Eren became dead weight in his arms, and Levi staggered a little and gripped Eren tighter so he wouldn't slide down to the floor.

"...pass out." Levi patted at Eren's face, rousing him back to consciousness enough to steer him out of the bathroom. As he half-carried Eren through the bar to the door, Pixis looked up from wiping down the counter and shot Levi a knowing smile and a wink. Levi just rolled his eyes at him.

"Where the hell do you think you're going with Eren?!"

Sasha had stepped in front of them, clutching her empty serving tray tightly and looking for all the world like she was fully prepared to beat him over the head with it, despite the fact that Levi could clearly see that her arms and hands were trembling. Levi felt an odd sense of pride and opened his mouth to reply but Pixis beat him to it.

"It's okay, Sasha. Levi is an old friend of mine; I asked him to give Eren a ride home."

Sasha's grip relaxed slightly, and her gaze flickered between Levi and Pixis. "...Are you sure, Boss?"

Pixis nodded. "I'd trust Levi with my life. And have, on numerous occasions." He grinned. "He'll get Eren home safe."

She chewed on her lip for a moment before stepping aside. Levi could still feel her suspicious gaze on his back until the entrance door closed behind him. Somehow, he managed to get Eren over to his parked car and buckled into the passenger seat before walking around the vehicle and getting in himself. Levi hesitated a moment before pulling his phone out to text Hanji.

**Levi:** Can you guys take a taxi home tonight? Something's come up.

He knew there was no point in bothering to call. They'd never hear him speaking over the noise of the club.

**Hanji:** No prob, but what happened? Get a hot Titan date?

**Levi:** In a manner of speaking.

**Hanji:** ???

Instead of answering, Levi took a quick photo of Eren and sent it to Hanji before promptly putting his phone in his pocket and ignoring the near-constant buzzing as a barrage of texts started hitting it. He reached over and shook Eren's shoulder. "Eren. Hey, come on, wake up. I need your address."

Eren didn't rouse, only mumbled something unintelligible before turning his head away. Levi was just contemplating digging through Eren's pockets to find his driver's license when he heard a ringing coming from Eren's jacket. He quickly pulled out a cell phone from the pocket, relief sweeping over him when he saw the caller ID displaying the name Mikasa. He swiped his thumb across the screen to answer. "Hello."

"Oh, Eren, thank God. Are you okay? Sasha said some creepy-looking old guy left with you."

"...Is that seriously how Braus described me? The shitty brat; I'm not even that old this time around."

There was a long pause before Mikasa spoke again. "Captain."

Levi felt his lips twitch up into a smile. "Just Levi now, unless you want me to start calling you Squad Leader."

"No thanks." The reply was quick. "Um, Levi, Eren... He doesn't..." Mikasa trailed off, and Levi heard her let out a frustrated huff of air as she struggled with what she wanted to say.

"He doesn't remember? Yeah, I kind of figured that out. Braus, too." He glanced over at Eren's sleeping face. "Listen, let me give you my cell phone so you can text over your address. I'll drop him off there for you."

A couple minutes later and Levi had said goodbye to Mikasa and programmed his GPS, all while still ignoring the messages Hanji had sent. He started his car, but before he put it into gear to drive out of the parking lot, he looked back over at Eren. His mouth was slightly open in his sleep, a thin line of drool trailing from the corner of his lips. Levi huffed in amusement. "Gross." He reached over and brushed a few strands of soft, chestnut-colored hair from his forehead, watching as the shadows cast by long eyelashes fluttered against Eren's cheeks.

Levi's breath caught in his throat as a fierce wave of fondness and protectiveness and longing and loneliness washed through him. He pulled his hand away and shut his eyes, gripping the steering wheel tightly until his breathing steadied. "Come on, let's get you home," he muttered as he drove out onto the street. He would drop Eren off, and then when he got back to his own apartment, he'd delete Mikasa's number and address from his phone. Act like tonight had never happened. Eren had a new life now, and the last thing he needed was a ghost from a past he couldn't even remember hanging around, expecting things from him that he might not be able to give.

It was for the best.

Maybe if Levi told himself that enough times, he might even start to believe it.


	2. Interview

Eren’s first awareness was that his mouth tasted  _ disgusting _ . In addition to a dry, fuzzy feeling, there was a sour aftertaste that confirmed that, yes, his vague recollections of throwing up the night before were accurate. He pried his eyes open against the gumminess that seemed to glue his eyelids shut and immediately regretted it as pain stabbed straight through his skull.

Eren sat up with a groan, rubbing his temple with one hand as he blearily looked around and recognized his own bedroom. There was a brief moment of disorientation as he tried to work out how he got from the bar bathroom to home, but he decided to put that aside to work out later when he saw the glass of water and two Advil set out on his nightstand.

He downed the pills and chugged the water, noticing a folded piece of paper as he set the empty glass back down. He unfolded it to reveal Mikasa’s angular handwriting.

_ “You’re an idiot.” _

His lips curved up in a wry smile as he realized he couldn’t really argue with her assessment, and he slowly pulled himself out of bed and shuffled around the room, grabbing some clean clothes before heading for the bathroom.

One long, hot shower and a vigorous toothbrushing later, and Eren headed into the kitchen where he could hear the sound of someone moving around. Mikasa was standing over the stove, scrambling eggs, and Eren covered a yawn. “Mornin’. Is there any Vitaminwater?”

“In the fridge.”

Eren opened the door and grabbed a bottle. “We’re out of mango. There’s only pomegranate left.”

“It’s your turn to restock next.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Eren opened the bottle and leaned against the counter. “Where’s Ar?”

“He had to go to his internship at the museum today.”

“Oh.” Eren had a brief, panicked moment wondering if he’d forgotten if he had to go into the aquarium or not, but then relaxed when he remembered he had the weekend off.

He jumped a little as the toaster behind him popped up, and Mikasa reached around him and then nodded at the stools on the other side of the counter. “Go sit. Breakfast is almost done.”

“Thanks.”

They were about halfway through the plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and sliced fruit when Mikasa finally spoke up. “Last night was one of the stupider things you’ve done in a while.”

Eren cringed a little and stabbed his eggs a bit harder than necessary. “I know. I just… It was either get drunk or take it out on whoever tried to talk to me.”

Mikasa’s lips turned down into a frown, and her fingers plucked at her shirt collar. It was a nervous habit she’d had ever since they were kids, almost as if she were trying to pull something up to cover her face. “From what Sasha said, it sounds like you did both.” When Eren didn’t answer, just hunched his shoulders further up, she continued, “I just wish that if you decided to get that drunk, you’d done it at home. You’re lucky it was Levi that approached you and not some strange creep.”

Eren’s brows furrowed together in confusion. He remembered the man that had talked to him in the bar, but he was fairly certain he’d never given Eren a name. “Levi?”

“Oh, he’s a third cousin or something of mine. I called your phone when Sasha told me you left with a stranger and he answered. He was surprised we knew each other.” Mikasa stared at her plate, seemingly absorbed in cutting up her cantaloupe into even pieces. “I had him drop you off here.”

“Huh.” Eren popped his last piece of orange into his mouth. “Well, if I see him again, I’ll have to get him a coffee or something to thank him.”

“He might like that.” Mikasa smiled slightly and picked up both their plates, taking them to the sink. Maybe Eren was imagining it, but he thought her expression looked a little sad when she turned away.

After breakfast, Eren spent the rest of the morning curled up in a blanket on the couch in an attempt to sleep off the rest of his hangover while Mikasa quietly puttered around the apartment. At one point, she must have called her mother, because Eren could hear her softly talking in Japanese. Shortly after the phone call, she walked into Eren’s line of sight, a gym bag slung over her shoulder.

“I’m going to work. Do you need me to pick up anything on my way home later?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Mikasa nodded and walked away, but just as she reached the door, someone knocked on the other side. Eren craned his head backwards over the arm of the couch to see who it was, and his eyes widened in shock when Mikasa opened the door. He blurted out, “The fuck are  _ you _ doing here, Horseface?”

Jean stood in the doorway, blinking at him. “Wh…what did you just call me?”

Eren sat up and stretched, his shoulders popping in protest at the movement. “I ‘unno. I’ve just thought for a while that you really look like a horse. You know, because of the long face and all.” He made a vague gesture, his hand sweeping down the length of his own face.

Jean stared at him a moment longer, and then his lips curved up in a sardonic smile. “I guess some things really don’t change,” he muttered. His glance flickered to Mikasa before going back to Eren. “Why didn’t you say something before?”

Eren shrugged. “We were dating before. It seemed kinda rude. Don’t have to worry about that now, though, do I?” A small flicker of resentment curled in Eren’s gut, but, much to his surprise, was quickly gone. He was still sad - and a little angry - but it was nothing like the hurt he’d been feeling last night. Of course, it might have just been because he was too hungover to have the energy to be upset right now.

Jean had the grace to look embarrassed at that, and Mikasa’s gaze flitted back and forth between them. “I’m going to be late, so unless you two are about to kill each other, I need to get going.”

Eren flopped back down onto the couch. “I make no promises.”

Mikasa tutted at him and went out the door as Jean slipped inside the apartment. He stood there for a minute, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, before he finally looked back at Eren. “Sorry for coming over so soon. I just, uh, I’ve got that job interview Monday, and I…think I left the tie I want to wear here.”

“Top right drawer of my dresser; there’s a bunch in there. You’ve got a lot of pants and t-shirts in the drawer just below that, too.”

“Right, thanks.” Jean headed toward the hallway, but then he stopped. “Hey, Eren? I know it’s selfish, but…we’re still friends, aren’t we?” Silence stretched between them, broken when Jean sighed. “Never mind. I’m an idiot. I’ll just-“

“Wait,” Eren cut him off. He sat up again so he could meet Jean’s eyes. “Just… Just give me a little time, okay?”

Jean nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.” His smile looked almost relieved. “Thanks.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “You’re a weirdo, you know that? What the hell did I even see in you, anyway?” His voice was light, a bit of their old teasing coming back, and Jean gave a short bark of laughter in return.

“I ask myself that every fucking day.”

**~~~~~**

 

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Do about  _ what _ ?” Levi glanced up as Hanji set a cup of coffee down on his desk before plopping down in one of the chairs facing him. Levi wrapped his hands around the warm porcelain and stared down into the steam curling up from the dark liquid as he pretended he didn’t know what Hanji was talking about.

Hanji wasn’t falling for it. “It’s been three days. Aren’t you going to call Mikasa?”

“No. I already deleted her number from my phone.”

“What?! Why would you do that? After you finally found Eren, and-“

Levi held up his hand, cutting them off. “And he doesn’t  _ remember _ anything. I’ve got no right to interfere in his life.” Levi looked up at Hanji then, his eyes pleading with them to understand.

Hanji slumped down in their chair. “Just because he doesn’t remember  _ now _ doesn’t mean he won’t remember tomorrow, or a month from now.”

Levi sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Or he might not remember for fifty years, if at all. You know as well as I do that there’s no pattern to who remembers our past lives, or when.”

Hanji’s fingers drummed against Levi’s desk. “What about Mikasa? She might want to get in contact with the rest of us.”

“Mikasa has my number. If she wanted to, she could, and - in case you haven’t noticed - she hasn’t. Now can we please fucking drop it?”

“I still don’t understand why you’re so against even  _ talking _ to Eren. I  _ know _ how much you’ve missed him.” When Levi didn’t answer, instead staring back down into his coffee, Hanji leaned forward and continued, “You really need to stop punishing yourself, Levi. I know you feel guilty about d-”

“Don’t.” Levi’s eyes snapped up, and he glared at Hanji. “Don’t you fucking  _ dare _ finish that sentence. I don’t need you pulling that psychoanalysis bullshit on me.”

Hanji dropped their gaze down to their lap. “Sorry.”

Levi swiveled his chair back to face his computer. “So, was there any other shit you wanted to bug me with, or can I get back to work?”

“Actually, I’m really busy today and I was wondering if you could handle this interview I have coming in?” Levi arched an eyebrow at Hanji, and they clapped their hands together. “Please, Levi, it would really help me out.”

He sighed. “It’s not even my job; I’m an accountant for fuck’s sake.  _ You’re _ the HR manager.”

“It is your job. You’re the CFO, and the position it’s for is in your department. C’mon, do it and I’ll take you to that Korean barbecue place you like!”

“Fine. Give me the file.”

“Actually…” Hanji let out a little laugh and stood up, edging toward the door. “I forgot it. I’ll send someone up with it in a bit.” They reached the door and opened it, before saying all in one rush, “Okay, well, he’ll be here in half an hour; I’ll just have Nifa send him here. Thank you!”

The door slammed shut, and Levi gently banged his forehead on his desk.

 

Thirty minutes later, and Levi had almost forgotten his promise to Hanji when there was a knock on his office door. “Come in,” he called out without looking up from his paperwork.

He heard the door open. “Hello, I was told to come here for my interview? I’m- holy shit…”

Levi looked up to see amber eyes staring at him in shock. Levi blinked slowly before taking off his reading glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I am going to strangle Shitty Glasses the next time I see them, I swear to God.” He gestured at one of the empty chairs in front of him. “Sit  _ down _ , Kirschstein, and close your mouth. You look like you’re trying to catch flies.”

“Ah, yes, sir!”

“Don’t fucking ‘sir’ me, kid.”

Jean looked sheepish as he sat down. “Um, right.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sorry. This is just… This is really fucking weird.”

“No shit.” Levi looked up as someone else knocked on the door. 

It opened a crack, and one of Hanji’s assistants stuck his head into the room. “Excuse me, Mr. Ackerman. I have the files from Mx. Zoe.”

“Better late than never,” Levi muttered under his breath. “Just set them over here on my desk.”

The young man walked into the room and set the folder down. Levi noticed Jean glancing up at him as he walked past, and then doing a double-take as all the color drained out of his face. The man gave Jean a puzzled looking smile, and then turned back to Levi. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

“No, you can get back to work, Bodt.”

Jean’s head turned to watch him as he walked out, and he kept looking at the door long after it shut.

Levi cleared his throat to get his attention. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Yeah.” Jean’s voice was quiet. “Yeah, I think I just did.”


	3. Coincidence?

Mikasa leaned against the bathroom door. “Are you sure you’re okay with tonight?”

“Ii ‘ine.” Eren’s words were garbled around his toothbrush.

“What are you even doing?”

“‘Ushin’ mah uung.”

“What?”

Eren spit the last of the toothpaste out of his mouth and then rinsed. He cleaned his toothbrush as he answered, “I said I was brushing my tongue.”

“...Why?"

“Because it took long enough to train away my gag reflex the first time. I don’t want it to come back just because I don’t have a boyfriend right now.”

He bit back a grin as Mikasa’s face slowly scrunched up. “I didn’t need to hear that, Eren.”

Eren laughed. “You asked.” Mikasa frowned and swatted at his chest as Eren leaned in to poke at the wrinkle between her brows. “Anyway, stop asking if I’m okay. It’s been a month. It really doesn’t bother me to meet Jean’s new crush.”

Mikasa huffed and rubbed at her forehead. “He’s Jean’s new friend at work, that’s all. He just wants us to get to know him.” Mikasa turned to go into the living room, and Eren followed.

“You know how Jean works. He’s asking the guy out in a group because he’s too chickenshit to actually ask him on a date.” Eren opened up the fridge to grab a bottle of water and an orange. “Back me up here, Ar.”

“Eren’s probably right.” Armin didn’t look up from where he was organizing his papers before shoving them into his bag. “Are you ready to go? We’re going to miss the bus to campus if we don’t leave now.”

“Yeah.” Eren scooped up his own bag and bent down to kiss Mikasa’s cheek. She just snorted and swatted him again.

“Go on. See you both tonight. Try not to fall asleep in class, Eren.”

**~~~~~**

 

“You were supposed to take me here a _month_ ago, Shitty Glasses.”

“I said I would take you; I didn’t say when. Stop pouting.”

“But pouting is one of Levi’s favorite hobbies.”

Levi jerked his elbow back, eliciting a satisfying yelp when it connected with Farlan’s ribs. Served him right for the comment. “I also don’t recall you saying we’d have to drag along the freeloaders.”

“Oh come on, Levi, you owe me for ditching us at the club.” A weight latched onto Levi’s left arm and he stumbled a bit before finding his stride again. “Besides, the grumpy act ain’t fooling me. You love us.”

“You and Farlan are...tolerable. On occasion.” Isabel grinned up at him and nuzzled against his shoulder. Levi found himself smiling back. “Shouldn’t you be hanging off your fiancé and not me, though?”

Before Isabel could reply, they’d made it to the entrance of Mas-issneun, and Hanji started waving at a group walking up from the opposite direction. “Jean! Marco! Hi!”

Levi got a good look at the people approaching them and swore before ducking behind Farlan as best he could. “Hanji!” he hissed at them. “Don’t!”

Hanji either didn’t hear him or - more likely - flat out ignored him. “Wow, what a coincidence running into both of you here. So, who’re your friends?”

Levi grit his teeth and started imagining all the many ways he could kill Hanji. His attention was jolted back when he heard his name. “What?”

“Are you really going to stand there and not even say hi to your cousin, Levi? It’s been _years_ since you’ve seen her.”

Levi shot Hanji a glare at the way they emphasized the word “years” and stepped forward with a sigh. “It has not. I just talked to her a few weeks ago.”

Isabel scrunched her nose. “Wait, we have a cousin? I didn’t know Kenny had any kids.”

“Oh, shit, no, I hope not.” Levi temporarily forgot his annoyance at Hanji’s meddling - this entire encounter had to be because of Hanji’s meddling - in his horror at the thought of Kenny reproducing. “Isabel, this is Mikasa. She’s one of Mom’s distant cousins. Mikasa, this is my step-sister, Isabel, and her fiancé, Farlan.” He kept his eyes on Mikasa as she nodded at them both, very carefully _not_ looking at the brunet standing next to her, even as he could feel a curious stare boring into him.

In fact, he was concentrating so hard on not concentrating on the young man, that he jumped slightly when Eren suddenly shouted, “Ah! It’s you!” Levi, and everyone else, looked at him, and Eren shuffled nervously. “Uh, I mean, you’re the guy from the bar. The one that took me home.”

Levi heard a choked sound behind him from Farlan, and Isabel turned to him with narrowed eyes glinting dangerously. “So _that’s_ why you ditched us.”

Levi groaned and covered his face with his hand. “Jesus fuck, kid, don’t say it like that. I gave you a ride to _your_ home. I didn’t _take_ you home.”

Eren shrugged. “Same thing, isn’t it?”

Jean laughed. “Oh, no, it’s not.” He looked over at Levi and started snickering harder. “Wow, Levi, I never thought I’d see you actually blush.”

“Stop neighing, Kirschstein. Unless you want more TP reports to come across your desk.”

“Shutting up, sir.”

“I told you not to ‘sir’ me.”

Eren looked back and forth between them and then turned to Jean. “Wait, _you_ know Mikasa’s cousin?”

“He’s my boss.”

“What a small world, huh?” Hanji wrapped an arm around Jean’s neck, practically pulling him into a headlock. “Hey, why don’t we all get a table together so we can keep this conversation going?”

Levi crossed his arms. “Hanji, no.”

“Hanji, YES.”

“We shouldn’t bother them. Who the hell wants to eat dinner with their bosses?”

“Oh, come on, Marco adores me, don’t you Marco? Just look how adoring this face is.” Hanji let go of Jean to grab Marco’s face and smush his cheeks between their hands.

“Let Bodt go, Hanji. You’re traumatizing the kid.”

“Ish fine.”

“See? Marco says it’s fine.”

“No."

Eren broke into the exchange. “I don’t mind. It’s more fun with more people, anyway. You can get a lot of different stuff.”

Levi was about to protest again when he felt a tug on his sleeve. “C’mon, Big Bro. You already know half of them anyway, and I wanna hear more about this ride home.”

“Nothing happened,” Levi insisted as Hanji whooped and led the way into the restaurant to request a table for nine.

 

Throughout the meal, Levi tried his best to keep his attention on his food and off of Eren. Which was proving to be damn difficult considering that he’d somehow ended up directly across from Eren and bracketed in place between Hanji and Farlan. He kept finding his eyes wandering up to Eren’s face, watching him through his eyelashes as he talked animatedly with his friends as well as Hanji and Isabel. Every time Eren’s gaze turned toward him, Levi would start guiltily and look away. He also caught Armin, Mikasa, and Jean staring at him speculatively several times or exchanging looks with Hanji.

He was becoming more and more certain this was a set-up.

Green eyes met his once again, and Levi quickly turned his head, only to see Farlan staring at him with his brows furrowed together. "What?" Levi asked. “You look constipated.”

Farlan shook his head and stood up. “Hey, Lee, can you come with me for a minute?”

“Wipe your own ass.”

He heard Eren sputter as he tried to laugh and swallow his drink at the same time, and the next thing he knew, Hanji was pulling him up out of his seat. “Excuse us for a minute!” Hanji called out cheerfully to the table, and Levi found himself being pushed along behind Farlan.

Once they reached the bathroom, Hanji leaned against the door to stop anyone from walking in on them without warning, and Farlan checked the stalls before turning to Levi. “So, that’s the guy you like.”

Levi turned to Hanji, hissing, “Just how much did you tell him?”

Hanji just gave Levi a shrug and their best wide-eyed, innocent smile. Behind him, Farlan said, “They told me enough.” Levi reluctantly turned back to him, and Farlan crossed his arms and cocked his hip against the edge of the sink. “So, when are you going to ask him out?”

“I’m not. I’m going to go out there, finish eating, and then pretend none of this ever happened.”

“Levi.” Hanji placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder. “It wouldn’t hurt to at least talk to Eren. He seems to like you.”

“He doesn’t even _know_ me.” Levi knocked Hanji’s hand away. “Stop blocking the door.”

For a moment, Hanji looked like they wanted to say something else, but then they deflated and stepped aside. Levi stalked back to their table, but he slowed when he got close. Isabel was leaning toward Eren, eyes shining as she enthusiastically talked about something. Eren’s smile was relaxed as he answered her, and Levi felt something nostalgic and wistful twist up inside him. How many times, he wondered, had he wished he’d been able to have his best friends meet Eren?

_I could introduce him to my mom, this time._

Levi quickly shook that thought away as soon as it occurred. There wasn’t a _this time_. There would never be a _this time_. Eren was happy in this life, and he was free, and he had an entire world of people and experiences open to him. The only thing that mattered was that Eren was happy, and with all the billions of people in the world, there had to be someone out there that could make Eren happier than Levi ever could.

Eren didn’t _need_ Levi.

A hand on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts. Farlan leaned close to his ear. “Lee, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at Eren. _Talk to him_.”

Levi gave Farlan a smile that even he could tell was strained and unconvincing. “It’s fine. Come on, the food’s getting cold.”

**~~~~~**

 

Eren couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been back to Maria’s several times, but neither Pixis nor Sasha had seen Levi since that night. Mikasa had offered to let Eren use her phone to call him, but ringing up a complete stranger out of the blue had seemed a bit too creepy to Eren, so he’d passed. He’d been about ready to reconsider his stance on calling him when they’d happened to run into the group outside the restaurant.

Levi had been much more reserved than Eren would have expected based on his admittedly hazy memories of the man that had rather stubbornly invaded Eren’s booth that night. Eren took advantage of Levi’s silence to study him covertly. He was short, for a guy, barely five and a half feet tall if Eren were to guess, although it was less noticeable when he was sitting. Now that he knew to look for it, he could see a certain resemblance to Mikasa, although it was less in their actual features and more in their expressions and the way they carried themselves - the term “resting bitch face” flashed through Eren’s mind. They both had a certain economy of movement, with no wasted motion. Eren found himself wondering if Levi had martial arts training as well.

Levi’s companions were much more talkative, especially Hanji and Isabel, and as soon as Isabel found out he worked at the aquarium he could swear he could nearly see her visibly vibrate with excitement. Yet despite all the conversations going on around him, Eren kept finding his attention drawn back to Levi. Several times he’d catch himself staring at the downturned cupid’s bow of his mouth while he said something to Hanji or watching Levi’s hands when he reached out to turn the meat on the grill or transferred something to his plate. At one point, he happened to catch Levi’s eyes only to have Levi quickly look away, and Eren could have sworn he saw the tips of Levi’s ears turn pink. A moment of blinding clarity hit Eren with a single thought.

 _Oh no, he’s hot_.

When the meal was over and everyone got up to leave, Levi quickly made his way toward the door, Isabel and Farlan right behind him. Eren hesitated a moment before telling Mikasa he’d be right back, and he hurried out the door after him. “Hey, Levi, wait a minute!”

Levi paused underneath one of the streetlamps, and Eren trotted up to him. He noticed Farlan nudging Isabel and moving further ahead with her while Levi stood and waited, expression impassive.

“Um, hi.” Eren scratched at the back of his neck. “Look, I never really thanked you for getting me home. So, I was wondering if maybe I could take you out for a coffee or something? To thank you?”

“Most people would just offer to pay back the gas money, kid.”

Eren huffed. “Look, I may not remember everything, but I do know I told you not to call me a kid. And gas money just seems so impersonal. I’m free next Saturday afternoon. Please?”

“I only drink coffee in the mornings. I can’t stand the shit otherwise.” Levi looked down, picking at an invisible piece of lint on the sleeve of his button-down before straightening the cuff, his face still completely expressionless. Eren realized in that moment that Levi was nervous. He had no idea how he knew that, but he was certain of it.

“He likes tea!”

Eren’s head snapped up to see Farlan trying to coax Isabel further down the sidewalk while she grinned at Eren and gave him a thumbs up. Eren looked back at Levi, catching his bottom lip in his teeth briefly before beaming at him. “Tea, then. My treat.”

Levi stared at him silently for so long that Eren was afraid he was going to refuse again, but then he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “Okay.” He crossed his arms and looked away. “But I’m picking the place.”

“That’s fine!” Eren’s smile stretched wider, and a moment later he was rattling off his phone number so Levi could text him the address where they were meeting. Eren waved goodbye to Levi and his friends before running back to where the rest of his group was waiting for him on the sidewalk. They headed off to their after dinner destination, Jean already arguing with him about the Huskies, and Armin and Marco laughing at them both while Mikasa warned them to behave.

He never noticed Hanji pausing as they left the restaurant to stare after the group with a fond smile before turning around and heading the opposite direction, whistling.


	4. A Date?

Something was wrong.

Eren was kneeling beside him, tears pouring down his face, running down into the red tracks left behind from his recent shift. He was gripping Levi’s hand so tightly his knuckles were turning white, but Levi could hardly feel it, had barely been able to move his arm up to reach Eren in the first place. He couldn’t really feel anything from about the mid-point of his chest or lower; the only reason he knew his legs were still there was because he’d looked down and seen them. But that wasn’t what was worrying him.

Levi coughed, and a wet gurgle echoed in his lungs. His breath was getting shallower, each intake of air becoming more difficult. He briefly wondered if this is what drowning felt like. He’d never actually known anyone that had drowned, but in the Underground he’d known plenty of people that had come down with consumption, and the bubbling sighs of their final breaths had been terribly, frighteningly similar to the sounds that Levi’s were making now.

Talking was becoming difficult, but he had to try. He had to tell Eren before it was too late. Why had he waited until it was too late?

“Eren… I…” Levi paused, trying desperately to take in more air. Just a little more. Just enough. He couldn’t, though. His lungs and body were screaming at him, sparks flashing in his brain as his hand went slack in Eren’s grip and his vision started to go grey. He moved his lips, trying to at least mouth out the words as everything went black, and the last things he saw were Eren’s eyes, dark and frantic. The last thing he heard was Eren screaming, pleading with him to wake up, his voice broken and desperate.

“LEVI!!”

 

Levi shot straight up in bed, his hand clutching at his t-shirt as he gasped in great lungfuls of air and his heart beat wildly in his chest. As the phantom pain from the nightmare - the _memory_ \- of his death left him, Levi dragged a shaking hand through his hair, grimacing as he felt how soaked with sweat it was. It was only then that he noticed his clothes and the sheets clinging to him.

“Shit.”

He pushed himself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. Stripping, Levi stepped into the shower and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it, just short of scalding. For several long minutes he just stood under the spray with his head resting against the tiled wall. He washed himself mechanically and dried off before dressing in clean clothes. He changed his sheets, too, but he didn’t bother laying down. He knew from experience he wouldn’t be getting back to sleep.

Levi walked down the hall and to the kitchen, blinking and rubbing his hand over his eyes as he flicked on the light. Outside, the sky had turned from black to a dark, velvet blue. Dawn was at least an hour away.

Levi set his kettle on the stove and opened his cupboard to pull out a tin of tea leaves. As he waited for the water to boil, he remembered the bottle of Scotch he had stashed away. It had been a long time since he’d felt the urge to get drunk, and even longer since he’d actually been drunk. The last time had been with Erwin and Hanji in college, maybe a month after Erwin’s memories had come back. It hadn’t exactly been fun; the entire month had been rough on all of them, especially Erwin, and in the end they’d gotten together and drunk too much, talked too much, and cried...well, probably not enough. Things had gotten slowly better after that, and Levi had ended up realizing that ever since high school, he’d been drinking more and more as a way of coping with his own demons, and poured nearly every single bottle of booze he owned down the sink.

He still kept one, though. Hanji had asked him about it, and he’d said that even he wasn’t entirely sure why, but he felt less anxious knowing that the _option_ to get shit-faced was still there, even if he never took it. Hanji had shown one of their rare moments of tact and dropped the subject.

In the end, the bottle stayed in its cabinet and Levi took his tea into his office. He felt his cat wind past his ankles when he entered the room, and then she was gone, probably headed for the living room. As the sky outside slowly lightened, he busied himself with paperwork he’d brought home from work, even though it was Saturday and none of it really needed to be done right that moment.

“Oh, fuck, it’s Saturday,” Levi groaned out loud to himself and canted back in his chair. Saturday, the day he’d promised to meet Eren. Well, that explained why he’d dreamed about dying for the first time in years.

Briefly, he toyed with the idea of just canceling the entire thing, but if he did, Eren would probably just bug him until he agreed to a reschedule. He had Levi’s phone number now, and he hadn’t been shy about using it. No phone calls, but Levi had an entire ream of texts from him. He kept pulling them up - to delete them, he told himself - and would invariably end up reading through them.

Most of them were just small updates about his week. He’d talk about school, the aquarium, his friends, or ask the most bizarre random questions, usually based on whatever he was watching on TV at the time. One of the messages he gloated about assigning a cocky little know-it-all undergrad to monitoring the stickleback tanks at the university biology labs, which was apparently the most boring task there.

Levi slumped over his desk and buried his hands in his hair. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was Eren, crying. Crying because of him. Just what the hell was he supposed to do?

**~~~~~**

 

“Eren, you’re leaving already?”

Eren looked up from getting his parking pass validated at the reception desk to see Jean walking in the door, gym bag casually slung over his shoulder. He dragged his hand through his hair, still damp from his shower. “Yeah, sorry, I’ve got plans for the afternoon so I only did a half-workout today.” Eren spied a familiar blonde walking in through the door. “Hey, if you really want someone to do laps with, why don’t you ask Annie?”

Jean followed Eren’s gaze to Annie, who had paused on her way to the women’s locker room at the sound of her name. Jean frowned and shrugged before brushing past Eren. “No fucking thanks. I’d rather just be on my own.”

“Seriously?” Eren muttered as he watched Jean’s retreating back. “What the fuck is _wrong_ with him lately?” He sighed and turned to Annie with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. I don’t know why he’s being such a horse’s ass.”

Annie shook her head. “It’s fine.”

“I still feel bad.” Eren looked at his watch. “Shit, I’m running late. Look, we’ll spar next week if I have time, okay?”

Annie nodded, a small smile on her lips as Eren ran out the door to the parking garage.

 

Eren pulled his motorcycle into the Market Garage and then walked through Pike Place to get to the address Levi had given him. When he got close, he glanced up at the tea house’s sign and burst out laughing which drew the attention of several of the passersby on the sidewalk. Eren quickly stifled his chuckles, but he was still smiling when he pushed through the door. A quick look around and he spotted Levi at a table in the corner near the window. Eren walked over and Levi glanced up with an arched eyebrow as Eren slid out the chair and sat down.

“Hi.”

“Hello.”

They settled into a slightly uncomfortable silence, and Eren searched for a way to break it. “I’m surprised I haven’t noticed this place before. I work over at the aquarium, and the, uh, name kinda sticks out. Who comes up with something like ‘Assam Over Teakettle’ anyway?”

Levi opened his mouth, but it was a woman’s voice behind Eren that answered, “You’re looking at him.” A petite strawberry-blonde wearing a server’s apron stepped up to the table and handed Eren a menu. “Well, actually that’s not exactly what Levi suggested. I had to tweak it a little.” She winked at Eren and turned to Levi. “So, I don’t usually see you with new people?” She tilted her head expectantly at him, and Levi sighed.

“Petra, this is Eren. Eren, this is Petra. She and her husband own this place.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Petra.”

She giggled. “So polite. Are you sure you know Levi?”

“Well, I’m trying to.” Eren ignored the dark glare Levi sent them both to smile at her.

She laughed again when there was a sudden clatter and alarmed shout from the kitchen. Petra looked over her shoulder with a frown. “Oh, dear, what has he managed to do now?” She turned back to Levi. “Sorry, I really go need to check on Oluo. The usual, Levi?”

“Please.”

Petra turned her attention to Eren, and he quickly glanced at the menu. “Um, I don’t usually drink tea, so I guess I’ll get whatever Levi’s getting.”

She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Levi leaned back in his chair and looked out toward the window. It had started to rain a little, and Levi seemed content to watch the patter of water against the glass.

Eren cleared his throat. “You know the owners?”

Levi startled a little and turned his attention back to Eren. “Uh, yeah, we went to the same college. Oluo, Petra’s husband, took an accounting class I TA’d for. They just moved the business here; they used to rent a storefront in the building I work at.”

Eren hummed. Just then, Petra came back with a teapot and two teacups. “Let me know if you need anything else.” As she left, she leaned over toward Levi and whispered, although it was loud enough for Eren to hear, “And you behave!” She smiled at Eren once more and walked over to another table.

Levi ran his hand over his face. “Everyone’s a fucking busybody,” he muttered before pouring the tea for both himself and Eren.

Eren grinned and sipped at his tea. Levi had gone back to staring out the window, and Eren took the opportunity to study him more closely.

Levi was wearing a black long-sleeved sweater today instead of the button-ups he’d been in the last two times Eren had seen him, and Eren couldn’t help but admire the way it clung to his shoulders. He’d gotten the impression before, but there wasn’t any doubt now that Levi was built beneath his clothes. He lifted his cup to his lips, and Eren was distracted for a moment by the odd way that Levi held it, his fingertips cradling the rim and his hand above the top. Eren froze, his own cup halfway to his lips as an odd sensation twisted in his chest. He struggled to place the feeling. Nostalgia? Homesickness? Whatever is was, it was gone almost as soon as Eren had noticed it.

Levi glanced over at Eren. “If you have to shit, the toilet’s over there.”

“What? I don’t… Jeez, Levi, do you have an anal fixation or something?” Eren’s face heated up, and he chugged the rest of his tea.

A quiet laugh escaped from Levi, the corner of his lip curled as he looked down into his tea. He glanced up and caught Eren’s eyes. “...What?”

Eren flushed deeper as he realized he’d been staring. “Nothing.” Eren took his own turn staring out the window at the rain. When he felt he had his blush under control, he looked back, only to meet Levi’s gaze before the other man quickly looked away.

Levi cleared his throat awkwardly. “So, you’re studying marine biology?”

“In graduate school, yeah. Dad was a little disappointed that I decided not to go into medicine, but I’m getting a doctorate, so he can still brag about that.”

“Oh? And how about your mom?”

“Mom’s always proud of me.”

Levi’s face softened into a smile. The conversation turned then to their families, their jobs, and their friends. Petra stopped by a few times, and Levi had her bring a second pot of tea and some shortbread cookies.

Eventually, the light outside started to dim, and Levi looked down at his watch. “Ah, it’s past five already.”

“Really?” Eren finished the last of his tea and stood, zipping his jacket back up. “I’m sorry, but I gotta get going. Um, it’s been really fun, Levi. I’ll see you again?” Eren bit his bottom lip and held his breath as he waited for the answer.

Levi looked down at the table for a long moment before meeting Eren’s eyes. “Yeah, I’d...like that.”

“Great!” Eren started to pull out his wallet to pay, but Levi waved him off and tossed a credit card down on the table. Eren snorted and tossed down some bills. “Fine, but I’m getting the tip then.” With a last wave to Levi he walked out the door and made his way back to the parking garage, whistling despite the drizzle that was still falling and soaking into his hair.

**~~~~~**

 

As soon as Eren was gone, Levi rubbed his hand across his eyes. The chair across from him creaked, and he sighed, “Don’t you have customers to take care of?”

“Nope!” Levi sat up and lowered his hand. Petra had taken Eren’s empty seat, and she leaned toward him eagerly. “So?”

“So? So what?”

“So, who was he? How did you meet? Details, Levi!” Petra was grinning merrily at him, and Levi could see the door to the kitchen ease open, as Oluo no doubt listened in as well.

“Why do you _care_?” Levi could hear the whine creeping into his voice, but he was too exhausted to stop it.

“Because you’re my friend. And it’s exciting. You never date, and then suddenly you bring someone here? Spill!”

“It wasn’t a date.” Petra arched an eyebrow at him, and Levi’s shoulder’s slumped. “I don’t think it was a date. ...Did it look like a date?”

“Well, judging by how that young man was looking at you, I’d say it was a date.”

“How he was… Eren was…” Levi floundered and grew silent. He couldn’t comprehend how Eren could possibly be interested in him, not in this life. He wasn’t Humanity’s Strongest anymore; he wasn’t anything but an antisocial man with a host of anxiety problems.

Petra gave him a fond smile and stood, patting his shoulder as she walked past him. Levi sat at his table for several long minutes more, staring into his cooling tea as he pondered what Petra had said and wondered at the warmth curling in his chest.


	5. Levi Is Fucked

“Ah! That really hit the spot. Who knew Oluo would have turned out to be such a good baker? We should have assigned him to kitchen duty more often.” Hanji grinned over at Levi as the two of them stepped out of _Assam_.

Levi grunted and turned the collar of his raincoat further up against the constant drizzle. He was about to open his mouth to reply when the sound of a very familiar engine sputtering to a halt drew his attention to where a motorcycle had pulled up to the curb. The rider put down the kickstand and waved to Levi before he pulled off his helmet.

“Hey.” Eren smiled at Levi, ignoring the rain that damped down his hair.

“Hi.” Levi put his hands in his pockets and awkwardly shuffled closer. He’d been seeing more of Eren lately. Usually when Eren texted or called him to arrange a meet-up for coffee or lunch when their schedules allowed, but sometimes he’d randomly catch Levi at _Assam_. Levi had started to suspect that Eren had changed his route to and from the aquarium just so he could check to see if Levi was there.

Hanji tugged on Levi’s arm and leaned over his shoulder, grinning like a maniac. “Hey, Eren! Long time no see!”

“Hi. Hanji, right?”

Hanji started chattering at Eren, asking him about the aquarium and his labs at school, and Levi tuned them both out to stare at Eren as he answered Hanji. The rain had completely soaked his hair by now, and it dripped down the sides of his face and off the tip of his nose and his long eyelashes. White teeth flashed as Eren laughed at something Hanji said, and Levi’s heart gave a funny lurch in his chest.

A sharp elbow to his ribs from Hanji broke Levi out of his daze, and he realized that the other two had stopped talking and were both looking at him expectantly. He glared at Hanji and rubbed the spot where they’d jabbed him. “What the fuck?”  
  
“Eren asked you a question, Levi.”

Shit. Levi looked back at Eren, who returned his gaze with a small smile turning up the corners of his lips. “I said, there’s a band I’ve been wanting to see playing at a jazz club downtown this Saturday. Would you like to come with me?”

Levi’s throat went dry, and he had to clear it before he could get out an answer. “...Sure.” He tried to tell himself that he’d only agreed because he liked jazz, but a tiny voice inside his head insisted that Eren could have asked him out to see a screamo band and he’d probably go.

He was so fucked.

Eren beamed, his entire face lighting up, and Levi reiterated to himself just how fucked he was. “Great! I’ll pick you up at eight, then. Or you can drive us, if you’d rather not ride a motorcycle.”

“It’s fine.”

There was a long silence. Eren’s lips twitched, and he tilted his head. “...You do know I actually need your address if I’m going to pick you up, right?”

“Oh, right. It’s...uh…” Shit, what _was_ his address?

“Levi lives at the Bravern - South Tower - over in Bellevue. He can meet you at the entrance.” Hanji draped their arm over Levi’s shoulders as they butted into the conversation, blithely ignoring the death-glare Levi sent them.

“Yeah, I know where it is; Mom shops there all the time. See you there Saturday, Levi. Bye!” Eren jammed his helmet back on his head and took off down the street.

Levi shrugged off Hanji’s arm. “What the hell was that about?!”

“You were choking. I just gave you a little nudge is all. You better fix that by Saturday, though, since I won’t be there to bail you out.”

“You really like sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, don’t you?” Levi stomped down the sidewalk toward the parking garage, but Hanji trotted along right beside him.

“Eren was _flirting_ with you, Levi. What’s wrong with helping a friend get a little booty, especially when the booty in question is so obviously interested in being gotten?”

“I _hate_ you.”

“You know I can always tell when you’re lying. Thanks; I love you, too, snookums.”

**~~~~~**

 

By ten minutes to eight on Saturday, Levi was pacing along the sidewalk in front of his building. He kept going over a mental list in his head, trying to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, and stopping himself from running back up to the apartment to check that the cat was fed and that he’d remembered to turn off all his lights. He was just trying to reassure himself that, yes, he had washed up the plate from his light dinner - his _very_ light dinner, the butterflies that had taken up permanent residence in his stomach not allowing much room for anything else - when Eren pulled up next to him.

“Oh, good, you’re here. I hope you haven’t been waiting long?” Eren held out a spare helmet to Levi.

“No, I just got here,” Levi lied, not wanting to admit that he’d gone downstairs as soon as he’d worked up the nerve. He fit the helmet over his head and tightened the straps before climbing onto the seat behind Eren. His hands hovered uncertainly above Eren’s waist, barely skimming the fabric of his jacket.

“You’re gonna want to hold on tighter than that.” Eren took hold of Levi’s hands and he pulled them forward until Levi’s arms were wrapped more securely around his torso. Eren glanced over his shoulder at Levi “Okay?”

Levi nodded, heat flooding his face as he fought the urge to fist his hands in Eren’s clothes and lean into his back. Unfortunately, the resolve not to lean into Eren lasted only as long as it took him to pull back out into the street, and Levi soon found his chest pressed against Eren’s back as the city whizzed past, the ride downtown somehow simultaneously taking too long and not long enough at all.

 

The club Eren took him to was fairly small, though larger than Pixis’s place. Eren managed to get them a booth near one of the corners of the room, somewhat out of the way and secluded enough to give at least the illusion of privacy. The club was filling steadily, and a few couples swayed on the small dance floor in front of the stage, although most of the patrons seemed content to sit at their tables and nurse their drinks as they listened to the five-piece combo play. They really were quite good, and Levi closed his eyes and had just started to relax for the first time that night when Eren’s voice snapped him back to alertness.

“If I’d known you were just going to have Diet Coke, I would’ve let you drive tonight.” A crooked grin and a light chuckle took any sting out of Eren’s words. “Although, considering the first impression you got of me, maybe it’s a good thing I’m not drinking.”

Levi shrugged. “I can drive next time. I don’t drink, so it doesn’t matter to me.”

Eren perked up. “‘Next time,’ huh? So, if I ask you out again after this, that means you won’t say no?”

“Maybe,” Levi mumbled and hid his face in his drink. He changed the subject. “So, why the interest in jazz, anyway?”

“Hm, I guess it’s because of my mom. She always puts the radio on a jazz station when she’s cleaning, so I just kind of grew up listening to it.”

They sat in the club for about two hours, sometimes talking, sometimes just listening quietly to the music, and when they left, arms brushing together as they walked side-by-side down the sidewalk, it was just so _easy_ that Levi started to wonder what he’d been afraid of in the first place.

And then the breeze wafted a savory smell from somewhere nearby, and Levi’s stomach growled, loudly enough that Eren stopped walking to look over at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Hungry?”

Levi’s face was burning. “...I didn’t eat much for supper.”

Eren clucked his tongue at him. “Well, we can’t have you fainting dead away. Come on; I happen to know the best gyro place in town, and it should be nearby tonight.”

Before Levi could puzzle out what that meant, Eren had taken hold of his hand and was tugging him down the sidewalk. They turned a corner, and Levi could see a line of people snaking in front of a large vehicle parked nearby. Levi started to pull against Eren’s grip. “Oh, no. No, Eren. I am _not_ eating food that came out of a gross _truck_.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with food trucks. They have to pass the same Health Department inspections as restaurants. Besides, I know the guy that owns it, and, trust me, it’s clean enough to eat off the floor in there.” Eren pulled Levi into the back of the line, and at that point Levi’s only options were to either let go of Eren’s hand and bolt or to stay there. He looked down at where Eren’s fingers were curled against his and decided the risk of food poisoning was worth it.

“Yo, Eren! The usual?”

“Make it two this time, Connie.”

Levi realized he should have expected that Eren’s friend would be another familiar face - it had been happening a lot lately. He glanced up, catching a brief look of surprise that was quickly hid behind a wide smile.

“Alright. You’re just in time; I was about to close up shop, which makes you my last customers of the night.”

While they ate, Connie cleaned up, and Eren chatted with him through the window. Levi had just finished his sandwich - which he grudgingly admitted to himself was actually good - and thrown away the wrapper when he heard a shriek behind him.

“It’s you! The pervert!”

Levi was going to kill Braus; he really was.

“Sasha, dude, you can’t just _call_ people stuff like that.” Connie had stepped out of the truck to close up the window, and he quickly tugged on her wrist. “Come on, apologize.”

Sasha just looked Levi up and down and tilted her head. “What’re you doing here, anyway?”

Next to her, Connie clapped his free hand over his eyes and muttered, “Oh my _God_ , Sasha…”

“Actually, we’re here on a date.” Eren’s hand curled over Levi’s shoulder, and he looked up to see Eren looking back at him with a questioning expression, as if he were asking if it was okay to call tonight a date. Levi nodded slightly and leaned closer to Eren, and Eren’s face lit up in a grin.

“What, really?” Sasha looked back and forth between them and elbowed Connie. “See? I knew he was just trying to get in Eren’s pants.”

Connie spluttered, and Levi recited his oath to himself to kill Sasha. Slowly.

Eren laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “Um, actually, I think it’s...kind of the other way around.”

Sasha and Connie both shrieked out something at that, but Levi didn’t really hear them. He stared at Eren as his face heated up, and Eren’s lips curled into a shy, crooked smile.

Levi was so, _so_ fucked.

 

Eren slowed the bike as they went over the bridge on the way back to Levi’s apartment. The moon was out, shining down onto the water, the lights from a few boats bobbing along even at this late hour. Being on the motorcycle, they couldn’t really speak, and Levi resolved that next time they went out they’d use his car.

The internal voice that insisted that there shouldn’t be a next time was quieter now. Levi squeezed his arms tighter around Eren’s waist, resigned to the fact that it was already too late. He had Eren again, even if part of him was afraid that he wasn’t really _his_ Eren, and he didn’t want to give him up. He’d let himself get too close, and the thought of losing him all over again hurt.

While Levi was lost in his thoughts, Eren pulled off the freeway and soon came to a stop in front of Levi’s apartment building. He killed the engine, and they both got off and took off their helmets. Levi shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the pavement, awkwardly clearing his throat. “I, uh, I had a good time tonight.” As soon as he said it, Levi cringed at how cliche he sounded.

Eren didn’t seem to mind, a light chuckle accompanying his reply of, “Me, too.”

Eren’s hand cupped Levi’s jaw, warm as he tilted Levi’s face up toward his. Levi watched as Eren bent closer to him, and then he let his eyes fall shut as he felt Eren’s breath ghost against his lips.

Eren paused for a moment, and Levi could have stopped the kiss then, turned away, taken a step back. Maybe he should have, but instead he lifted upwards onto his toes, his hands coming up to clutch at Eren’s back.

Eren made a quiet, surprised-but-pleased sound in the back of his throat, his arms wrapping around Levi’s waist. His lips were warm and pliant as they moved against Levi’s, and Levi tightened his grip on Eren, pressing as close to him as he could. Eren tasted like a memory and felt like home, and Levi hoped that Eren couldn’t feel him trembling. One of Eren’s hands slid up Levi’s back until it tangled in his hair, and Levi whimpered into Eren’s mouth. Eren nipped at Levi’s lip in response, and they were both panting heavily when they pulled apart.

“Um, wow. That was… Wow.” Eren slowly disentangled himself from Levi, his hands lingering on Levi’s arms before he reached back to grab his helmet. “I’ll text you when I get home, okay?”

“Okay.” Levi stepped back onto the curb, slipping his hands back into his pockets and squashing down the surge of loneliness that rose up inside as Eren prepared to leave. “Goodnight, Eren.”

“Goodnight, Levi.” With that, Eren’s bike roared to life, and Levi watched Eren drive away until his taillights were out of sight.

A few minutes later, and Levi was back in his apartment and leaning against his closed door, his fingers pressing against his lips.

**~~~~~**

 

Levi’s fingernails scrabbled on the edge of his desk. He was close, so close, his legs starting to shake, and he bit down on the loose end of his cravat to stop the cry that was building in his throat.

Only to have it die into a whimper when a hand clamped down around the base of his cock and the hips driving that delicious heat in and out of him stilled. Levi spit out the bit of cloth, ignoring the drool that soaked it and dripped down onto his desk. “E-Eren, please…”

“You’re being so bad today, Levi. You know I like hearing your voice.” Eren was bent low over him, his lips brushing against the shell of Levi’s ear as he spoke. Levi shivered.

Levi turned his head to glare over his shoulder at Eren. “It’s the middle of the fucking day. Someone will _hear_.”

Eren just grinned at him, eyes shining with mischief. “Might be a good thing if they do hear. I forgot to lock the door. Wouldn’t want anyone walking in and seeing Captain Levi like this.” Eren ground his hips down into Levi, and Levi’s mouth fell open in a moan. He pictured what a sight it would make for some unsuspecting soldier: Levi, bent over his own desk, harness half-undone and naked from the waist down, cravat and shirt open, love bites trailing down his neck and chest; Eren standing behind him almost fully clothed, his pants shoved down just enough to free the cock that was now buried in Levi’s ass.

His own cock throbbed at the thought, still held tight in Eren’s grip, and Levi keened as he arched his hips up toward Eren. “Shit, Eren. Please…”

He almost sobbed with relief when Eren loosened his grip and slid his hand slowly along Levi’s length. “Will you be good for me now and let me hear your voice? Can you do that, Levi?”

“Yes, yes, yes, I’ll be good. Please, Eren.”

Eren moved both his hands back to Levi’s hips. His grip was hard, and Levi was sure to have bruises left behind, but that was okay. Levi liked it when Eren left marks behind on his skin. Marks where no one else could see, but where Levi could feel the lingering soreness under his clothes and the 3DMG. A reminder that Eren was here.

That he was still alive.

A yell escaped Levi’s lips as Eren drew back and then snapped forward with almost brutal strength. He pounded into Levi, their movements making the desk shake so hard that the inkwell tumbled off the edge and shattered on the flagstones. Levi hardly noticed as he screamed out Eren’s name, his vision going white as his fingers tangled themselves in the sheets-

...Wait, sheets?

Levi groaned and lifted his head from his pillow, the familiar lines of his bedroom slowly coming into focus in the predawn light. He rolled over and ran a shaking hand through sweat-soaked hair, uncomfortably aware of the warm, sticky wetness pooling in his boxer briefs.

“Son of a _bitch_.”


End file.
